This invention relates to circuitry and methods for improving the efficiency of a switching regulator. More specifically, this invention relates to circuitry and methods that recover energy that would otherwise be lost.
A recovery switcher is a switching regulator circuit that transfers energy from an input voltage source to an output voltage through an inductor. A recovery switcher typically has a low input impedance and a high output impedance. A recovery switcher regulates its input voltage, but it does not regulate its output voltage as its primary function.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a more efficient recovery switcher.
It would also be desirable to provide a recovery system that is highly efficiency.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a more efficient recovery switcher.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a recovery system that is highly efficient.
The energy recovery system of the present invention includes circuitry that transfers energy from an inductor to a capacitor with reduced power dissipation. A synchronous switching regulator is one application for the recovery system of the present invention. In a synchronous switching regulator, an inductor coupled in the commutation path of the body diode of the synchronous switching transistor may be used to reduce power dissipation caused by reverse recovery current that flows through the body diode of the synchronous switching transistor when the synchronous switching transistor turns OFF.
Energy in the inductor may be transferred back to an input capacitor or to an output capacitor of the switching regulator through a recovery system of the present invention. The recovery circuit of the present invention provides an efficient method for intercepting energy in the inductor, and presenting power to a recovery switcher in a manner that allows the recovery switcher to transfer the energy to the input or output capacitor of the switching regulator efficiently.
The recovery system of the present invention may also be used in a non-synchronous switching regulator. The recovery circuit of the present invention is coupled to an inductor. The inductor is coupled in the commutation path of a diode in the non-synchronous switching regulator. The inductor reduces the reverse recovery current that flows through the diode. The recovery circuit transfers energy from the inductor to the input or output capacitor of the switching regulator.